The Bills will make their annual trip to South Florida for a Week 10 matchup with the Miami Dolphins. Buffalo has shortened the gap on the Miami's all-time lead in the series (62-61-1 postseason included) by winning the last seven meetings.
"We haven't beat Buffalo since the first year Mike (McDaniel) has been here, so we look at this as we've got to win every time we play Buffalo," quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said.
The Dolphins outlasted quarterback Josh Allen and the Bills in a Week 3 game back in 2022. The clock expired on Buffalo's game-winning drive attempt as the Dolphins improved to 3-0.
Six of the last eight meetings between the Bills and Dolphins, including the 2023 wildcard playoff game in Buffalo, were decided on the game's final possession. The go-ahead score for the Dolphins in that 2022 victory happened two plays after wide receiver Jaylen Waddle hauled in a 45-yard pass from Tagovailoa on third-and-22.
"They have been running the division for the last couple of years, so of course, this is a division game, got a lot of juice," Waddle said. Going out there and playing football any time we play, it's exciting."
For any offense, matching points with a balanced, high-powered Bills attack is always a challenge. But there is a tried-and-true formula when it comes to keeping these games close – the run game.
Buffalo operates its defense with light boxes (extra defensive backs in the lineup in place of defensive linemen and linebackers) in over 80 percent of their snaps. It's a defensive system that invites the run because typically opposing offenses will eventually bog down, make a mistake, or fail to match Allen on the scoreboard over the course of 60 minutes.
The Bills rank 26th against the run this season, which has allowed teams to stay in games despite Buffalo's 6-2 record. The Dolphins were threatening to tie the game with two minutes to play in a 31-21 loss in September. Miami posted its third-highest rushing total of the season in that game (130 yards).
In the six games decided on the final possession, the Dolphins averaged 155.9 rushing yards per game. A big part of that running attack is the presence of fullback Alec Ingold. The Bills' light boxes, paired with Miami's two-back offensive sets, give the Dolphins an advantage in the run game. So, the formula is simple: run the ball effectively and Miami should have a shot at securing a victory in the fourth quarter.
"They play fundamental sound defense," Ingold said. "They know what they're doing, so when they have a couple guys go down and they can rotate safeties, nickel, all to do the same job. That's a credit to them and how they're coached and how they play."
The last two trips to South Florida for the Bills were for primetime games. Buffalo was here in 2024 for a Thursday Night Football Game after playing the 2023 season finale on Sunday Night Football at Hard Rock Stadium. Sunday's game will be the first 1p.m. kickoff in Miami for Dolphins-Bills since 2022.
The Dolphins will look to replicate their success from that 20-19 win in 2022 and keep their lead in the all-time series against the Bills.
Make sure to check out the Injury Report and the team's official social media accounts 90 minutes before kickoff to see who is active for the game.
Watch the game live on Sunday, November 9 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS, and listen on the Dolphins Radio Network and view the Game Center for the latest coverage.
